Automatic circuit closer for railway signals



3 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. BUCK.

AUTOMATIC GIRGUIT CLOSER FOR RAILWAY SIGNALS. v No. 350,411. PatentedOct. 5, 1886.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

v W. BUCK.

AUTOMATIG CIRCUIT GLOSER FOR RAILWAY SIGNALS.

No. 350.411. Patented Oct. 5, 1886.

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in i z 1 I a PEYERS. Phnmumn n nw. Waihmghm. o. c.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BUCK, OF KILBURN, COUNTY or MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATlC CIRCUIT-CLOSER FOR RAILWAY-SIGNALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.350,411, dated October5, 1886.

Application filed Dceeml er 531, 1885. Serial No. 186,360.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that l, \VILLIAM BUCK, a citizen of England, residing atKilburn, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented a new anduseful Electrical Contact Apparatus \Vorked by Railway-Trains, (forwhich I have made application for apatent in Great Britain, dated July6, 1885, No. 8,171,) of which the following is a specification.

In working the traffic on railways, particularl y when it is conductedon the block system, it is often desirable that the action ofthe'signals and telegraphic instruments employed should be controlled bythe position of trains on the line. In some cases this has been effectedby arranging in certain places by the side of the line triggers ortreadles, which, when they are acted on by the wheels of a pass ingtrain, communicate mechanical movements or transmit electrical impulsesfor the purpose of locking, unlocking, or moving signals or instruments.It has also been proposed to employ as contact apparatus abox containingincleury with a contact-wire, and a partition so placed in it that onthe sudden tilting of the box from a level to an inclined position themercury makes temporary contact with the wire. This is objectionable, inthat thebox is liable to accidentally tilt or get out of level, andthereby cease to be effective.

The object of my invention is to improve such contact apparatus, and torender the same safe and certain in operation at all times.

To such ends my invention consists,.essentially, in coupling the box tothe rail in such manner that the depression caused by a passing trainimparts a longitudinal reciprocating movement to said box and produceswaves in the mercury to make or break contact with a central wire,'allas more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a transversesectional view of a rail, showing the contact apparatus in elevation;Fig. 2, aside elevation onareduced scale; Fig. 8, a view similar to Fig.1, showing a modification of the invention; Fig. 4, a longitudinalsectional view of the mercury-box; Fig. 5, a transverse sectional viewof the same, and Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 sectional views show- (No modeLlPatented in England July 6, 1885, No. 8,171.

connection of these wires is made or broken by the wave caused by thepassage of a train along the rail, the depression of the rail multipliedI by the leverage of 0, giving to the box D a longitudinal shake,whereby the wave is generated. 'In a'similar manner, it, as shown inFig. 3, the mercury-box D be carried on a bent spring, G, thelongitudinal shake imparted to the box D by the passage of a train willproduce a wave of the mercury in the box.

It is important that the box and contactwires should be so arranged asto provide against error arising from alteration in the level orhorizontality of the box itself. In order to provide effectually againstsuch errors, the contact is made or broken at the middle of the box, asshown in Figs. 4 to 9, inclusive, so that, the capacity of the box formercury being symmetrical on each side of the contact-wire, theaccidental inclination of the box does not alter the relation of thewire to the level surfacev of the mercury. Thus in Fig. 4, which is alongitudinal section, and Fig. 5, which is a transverse section, of thebox D containing mercury, M, the one wire,E, near the bottom, remainsalwaysimmersed in the mercury. The

other wire, F, is situated in the middle of the box a little above thelevel of the mercury when it is in repose, so that there is noelectrical connection of the two wires. When, however, the box receivesalongitudinal shake, the wave produced in the mercury makes contact withF, and so for the time electrically connects E and F. It is found that,as shown in Fig. 6, by inserting in the box. a partition, L, dividing itunequally, there is greater certainty of the wave reaching the wire Fwhen a moderate shake is given tothe box; or, as

shown in Fig. 7, a wedge-shaped obstruction, N, may be placed in themiddle of the box,

causing the wave to mount over it. hen the electrical connection of thetwo wireshas to be broken by the wave, the wire F, as shown in Figs. 8and 9, is immersed a little in the mercury, either along a partition, P,as in Fig. 8, I

or without a partition, as in Fig. 9. In that case contact is broken bythe uncovering of F when the hollow of the wave comes under it. In allthese arrangements of the mercury-box the wire F is placed in then1iddle,and consequently the surface of the mercury in repose is alwaysin the same position relatively to the wire,eve n when the box is notlevel, but somewhat inclined either way; also, when a partition is used,as in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, there is a hole through the lower part ofthepartition, which allows the mercury always to take its repose-level,but which does not give so much passage as to affect the operation ofthe wave in making or breaking contact.

Obviously, when the wire E is intended to connect to earth, instead ofemploying it as a conductor, the box I) may itself be of conductingmaterial. In order more effectually to shake the box I), so as toproduce a wave of the mercury, the rail near where it is attached maypresent a slight hollow or protuberance to be acted on by the passingwheels.

Having thus described the nature of my in vention and the best means Iknow for carrying it into practical effect, I claim- 1. Anelectrical-contact apparatus consisting of alongitudinally-reciprocating box containing mercury and contact-wires,the upper one of which is central and coupled to arailwayrail, said boxbeing reciprocated through the coupling by the depression of the rail toproduce waves of the mercury for making and breaking contact with one ofthe wires, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a railway-rail, of a box containing mercury andcontact-wires, the upper one of which is central, a support coupling thebox to the rail and operated by the depression of the latter tolongitudinally reciprocate the box and produce waves of the mercury formaking and breaking contact with one of the wires, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of December,

\VILLIAM BUCK.

Witnesses:

OLIVER IMRAY, Patent Agent, 28 Southampton Buildings, London, W. 0.

J NO. 1?. M. llIILLARD,

Clerk to lllessrs. Abel (C1 Immy, Consulting Eur inears and PatentAgents, 28 S0 uthmnpton Buildings, London, ll. 0.

